9/11 “Mastermind” Faces Death Penalty

I just finished reading up on an article about the trial of the surviving 9/11 terrorists.  Some of the quotes that struck me.

Their war-crimes tribunal is the highest-profile test yet of the military’s tribunal system, which faces an uncertain future. It also threatens to expose harsh interrogation techniques used on the men, who were in CIA custody before being transferred to Guantanamo in 2006.

Those interrogation techniques have already been exposed.  Horrible acts of cruelty.  Water-boarding is down right satanic in my own opinion.  The sensation you are drowning… and you can draw the torture out for an extended period of time.  Panic attack?  Heart attack?  Horrible.  Any information given under this tactic should be taken with a grain of salt.  I would confess to anything to just make it stop.  (Spray a water bottle on your face… repeatedly.  It’s the closest sensation I can think of.)

A sound feed to journalists from the courtroom was turned off twice. The first time, a soldier told reporters it was because a detainee was discussing a medication he had been given, which was a privacy issue.

But his defense attorney, Navy Cmdr. Suzanne Lachelier, told The Associated Press later that the prisoner had been discussing his five years as a prisoner of the United States.

The sound was also turned off when another defendant discussed early days of his imprisonment. Judge Ralph Kohlmann said that in both cases sound was turned off because classified information was discussed.

Classified information was being discussed.  How about “We didn’t want the public to know!”

“It’s an inquisition. It’s not a trial,” Mohammed said in broken English, his voice rising. “After torturing they transfer us to inquisition-land in Guantanamo.”

Really?  Ya think?  It’s a stage and the occupants of the courtroom mearly players.

“It hardly comes as any surprise that after holding individuals in solitary confinement for five years and subjecting them to torture, these detainees would reject the legal system and offers to represent them,” said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union who was an observer at the hearing.

If they didn’t hate the US before, I’m sure they do now.

The Bush administration has acknowledged that Mohammed was subjected to harsh interrogation techniques including waterboarding - a technique that gives the sensation of drowning - in secret CIA custody before he was transferred to Guantanamo in 2006.

Regardless of his crime, if it were anyone in the US they would be let go, charges dropped or reduced for having this happen.  Unfortunately, if these people were not terrorists before, they are now.  This is the fault of the government and they cannot let these people go.  Even if they were innocent before, setting them free could cause alot of problems.  It’s sad, and it’s unfortunate, but regardless of what happens, none of these people could be set free.  They would be a security risk at that point.

Binalshibh’s civilian attorney, Thomas Durkin, said the men should be tried in U.S. federal courts.

“We have had many terrorism cases in our federal court system,” Durkin said. “I think it is a shame that for whatever reason the Bush administration has put on what we think is a show trial.”

Agreed!  Why subject them to a military tribunal?  We are NOT at war, remember.  Combat operations have ceased…. GWB said that.  Guess this proves that wrong. 

With less than eight months remaining in Bush’s term, presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain both say they want to close the military’s offshore detention center.

Thank God!  That place is a cess pool and should never have been opened. \

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